A modern office chair is a functional and comfortable piece of furniture, equipped with a rather complex mechanism that sooner or later fails. In such a situation, there are three options for the development of events: purchase a new one, take it to a specialized workshop, or repair the office chair yourself.
As practice has shown, it is quite possible to carry out such work on your own. The only thing that is required from the master is strict adherence to the sequence of actions and implementation of the instructions that will be given in this publication.
Today, there are three types of chairs on the office furniture market:
- For the manager
Such a piece of furniture usually has maximum capabilities: a five-beam steel cross; synchronization mechanism (a device that forces the seat and backrest to repeat the movements of the owner); mechanisms for adjusting backrest resistance, seat depth, negative tilt, etc. - For staff
Furniture of this type has more modest characteristics and functionality. Most varieties are lightweight (ensuring high mobility) and are equipped with mechanisms for adjusting seat height, armrests, and back angle. - For visitors
Office chairs of this modification are simply beautiful, stable and comfortable furniture, devoid of any functionality. Often they do not even have a rotation mechanism and are produced on four legs, instead of one supporting leg with a cross on wheels.
Design features
Despite the variability of designs and functional content, almost all chairs consist of one set of elements:
- Five-beam cross(base). This part is made of metal or plastic. The first option is better quality and more expensive
- Rollers. Just like the cross, the wheels can be made of metal or plastic. However, the mount and internal hinge of any roller are metal
- Pneumatic cartridge(gas elevator). The part serves as the leg of the chair and is responsible for its “elasticity”
- Rocking mechanism contributes to the axial deviation of the chair and its fixation in one position. On expensive models, a mechanism with an offset axis is installed, ensuring the smoothest swing possible.
- Piastra. This element is a metal platform with a lever. Serves to change the height of the seat relative to the cross
- Permanent contact– an element that connects the backrest to the seat and is responsible for changes in its position
Most office chair models have armrests. In cheap models, these elements are made of plastic; in more expensive ones - made of anodized or stainless steel.
Common breakdowns
As noted above, an office chair is a rather complex device and any of its structural elements may fail.
Damage to the cross
The problem with this element may be destruction at the junction of the beams. The material from which the cross is made is important here.
As a rule, the base is a hollow structure into which you can insert a suitable size and cross-section polypropylene pipe. It, in turn, must be rigidly fixed to the base and the damaged beam.
Plastic parts cannot be spliced using glue or a soldering iron. due to heavy loads on the paws. There is no point in restoring the integrity of this element. The best option There will be a complete replacement of the damaged structure with a glass-filled polyamide base.
In order to dismantle the crosspiece of an office chair, you need:
- Remove rollers. As a rule, they do not have a rigid fixation and are quite simply removed from the mounting sockets. To illustrate the process, it is recommended to watch the video:
- Dismantle the piastra. Fastening to the seat is done “on a cone”. Disconnection from the gas elevator is carried out by tapping on the attachment point. The correct process for disassembling an office chair is shown in the video:
- Remove the retaining clip, located in the recess of the upper part of the hydraulic elevator.
- Knock out the gas lift for repair or replacement of the five-beam.
Pay attention! In case of critical damage or destruction, it is impossible to knock the gas elevator out of the base. In this case, you should remove the working cylinder with the seal and bearing from the “glass”.
The process technology and dismantling device are shown in the video:
Destruction of the swing mechanism
If the chair does not hold the “horizon”, then the problem is most likely in the destruction of the swing mechanism.
Fastening to the seat is done with four screws using a shaped screwdriver. The element is dismantled as follows:
- The bolts that secure the rocking mechanism from the seat are unscrewed
- The gas lift is knocked out of the device mount.
This element is made of metal.
You can independently solve the problem of a collapsed device by completely replacing it (recommended) or using a welding machine.
It should be noted that most chairs originating from the Middle Kingdom are not suitable for domestic spare parts. This concerns, first of all, the swing mechanisms (size discrepancy).
- Chinese mechanisms: 200 x 200 mm.
- Domestic: 200 x 150 mm.
In order not to re-drill holes when replacing an element, we suggest using adapter plates. How it looks assembled can be seen in the figure below.
Air chuck failure
The pneumatic cartridge of the chair is a two-chamber structure filled with air. When you press the adjustment lever, the valve stops the flow of air between the chambers.
If, when pressing on the valve, the gas lift rod does not extend, it means that the integrity of the piston, seal, etc. is compromised.
Important to know! Gas lift cannot be disassembled. If damaged, a complete replacement of the element is required
The dismantling process is described above. To clarify the process, watch the video about replacing the gas cartridge on office chairs:
Enough common cause Gas lift failure is a bend in the adjusting lever, which does not allow pressing on the cartridge valve. In this case, you can easily carry out the repair yourself: you need to bend the lever to its original state.
Video: Repairing the permanent contact of the chair
If the contact is loose and the back does not “hold”, you will need to seal the connection. How to do this, watch the video:
As a conclusion
As can be seen from the above, almost all work to restore the functionality of an office chair involves replacing failed elements. In most cases, any “armed” man can perform such work. Finding the parts needed for replacement is quite simple: all components can be purchased in specialized stores or from companies that sell office furniture. To complete the picture, we recommend watching a video about repairing office chairs with your own hands:
A breakdown of an office or computer chair can deprive us of our usual comfort and seriously disrupt the work process. However, you should not rush to write off your favorite comfortable furniture. In many cases, repairing a gas lift can completely eliminate the problem and significantly extend its service life.
Repair of gas lift chairs of any complexity
A working gas spring provides several important functions, including turning the chair in both directions, adjusting it in height and cushioning when sitting on the seat. If the gas lift fails, the functionality of the furniture is impaired and it may fail completely.Problems with the unit are indicated by the following malfunctions:
spontaneous lowering of the seat, inability to maintain a constant height;
free swaying from side to side;
the appearance of creaking and crackling noises during furniture use;
inability to lower the seat using the lever.
If such problems occur, we recommend using the services of our specialists. Depending on the situation, they will replace or repair the gas cartridge in the office chair, which in any case will be much more profitable than buying new furniture. Our company's specialists undertake repairs of any complexity in the shortest possible time. Use the services of professionals to reduce your own costs and give a second life to your work chair.
The price is indicated when replacing a standard gas lift (for example, 140/240 1kl.) with on-site service.
Unlike cabinet furniture, the chair is subject to increased wear, since in addition to daily use it contains mechanical and, most importantly, hydraulic parts.
So why did one owner’s chair break down after half a year, while another’s chair lasted for years without a single breakdown? This circumstance does not always depend on the quality of a particular model. First of all, of course, it is necessary to pay attention to the weight of the user, as well as care during operation. In any case, most modern chairs are designed for a weight of up to 120 kilograms, and manufacturers, in turn, provide a guarantee for any damage from 12 to 18 months.
But if your chair breaks and warranty period has already passed, then, if you have sufficient dexterity, you can easily repair a computer chair yourself. However, we recommend turning to professionals in organizations specializing in this.
If your computer chair lowers itself when you sit down and rises when you rise from it, and the period of lowering or raising can vary from several seconds to a day - this is a clear sign gas released from the gas cartridge. Gas lifts cannot be repaired, since their disassembly is dangerous to life. 
In this situation, you can fix the chair with improvised means in the required position or replace the gas cartridge with a new one. The cost of the gas cartridge is not high, and it can be bought at any specialized store.
So, you have decided to replace the gas cartridge yourself.
You will need:
- Armchair
- Curly screwdriver
- Rubber hammer
- Metal drift
- New gas cartridge (appropriate length and diameter)
- Vise (for more convenience)
Replacing gas lift
- If you carry out repairs in the cold season, the liquid in the gas lift may freeze; in this condition it is strictly prohibited to use it. Wait until the new gas cartridge warms up to room temperature(This will require leaving it for up to 24 hours).
- The first step is to unscrew the seat from the rocking mechanism or piastres using a figured screwdriver. Turn the chair over, mark the face of the rocking mechanism, remove the 4 screws holding the chair seat to the rocking mechanism, and set the chair body aside.
- Move protective cover, take the gas cartridge in left hand downward swing and impact mechanism medium strength start tapping the rocking mechanism at the base of the gas cartridge, being careful that you don’t bend the rocking mechanism. If you are unable to disable the swing mechanism, try holding the base of the gas cartridge in a vice and turning the swing mechanism.
- After you have removed the swing mechanism, you need to knock the gas cartridge out of the crosspiece; to do this, turn the crosspiece upside down with the rollers and, using a metal drift, knock the gas cartridge out of the conical base of the crosspiece with gentle blows. Make sure that you do not damage the front side of the chrome cross and the stiffening ribs of the plastic cross.
- The crosspiece is disconnected! Difficult task behind, now you need to assemble the chair, first screw the swing mechanism to the backrest seat, pay attention to the correspondence of the front side of the seat with the front side of the swing mechanism.
- Now place the crosspiece with its wheels on the floor, remove the transport cap from the gas cartridge (you should see the button; attention! pressing the gas cartridge button in your hands is dangerous), insert a new gas cartridge, make sure that the diameter of the gas cartridge matches the crosspiece, put on the protective cover and put the chair body on the swing mechanism, if everything is in order, press the body of the chair with your hands and check all the elements again. You can sit on a chair and check the operation of the gas lift.
Attention! If you have a problem with the gas cartridge immediately after assembling a new chair, you may have encountered a defective gas lift or rocking mechanism. But before contacting a sales organization to replace parts, check whether the gas lift button is fixed by the lever from the swing mechanism.
Attention! If the gas lift does not respond to pressing the lever, check: - the swing mechanism or piastres are attached correctly, - whether the lever for pressing the gas lift button is bent. In other cases, the gas cartridge will need to be replaced.
All office and home furniture, and in particular chairs, they claim that most often the adjustment and position mechanism fails. Replacing the gas lift in an office chair is required if the foot does not respond to pressure and the chair is stuck in one position. Of course, it can be repaired, but only a complete replacement is allowed, since repair certain details will not bring results.
The advantage is that any office chair can be repaired with your own hands, using photos and videos from the Internet.
Chair gas lift device
Before you start repairing a gas lift, you should understand what it is. Based on its internal and external similarity, it is compared to a shock absorber, only in an unassembled form.
Gas lift operating diagram:
Figure 1. They do not sit on the chair. Gas lift in an unloaded state 
Figure 2. Sit on a chair and press a lever (button) 
Figure 3. Gas lift in lower position 
Figure 4. Pressed the lever (button) to raise the chair up (without load)
If the seat does not lower or rise, then the internal parts are worn out and only replacement will correct the situation.
You definitely need to know how to remove the gas lift from the chair so as not to damage other fasteners and parts, the replacement of which will also lead to a loss of money.
There are not many parts in the chair, so the restoration process will not be stressful.
Causes of failure
The computer chair itself breaks down quite rarely. This device lasts longer if you follow some rules:
- You cannot sit on a chair from a jump.
- Lubricate the parts with a small amount of oil.
- Do not sit in groups of two, creating an advantage.
The gas lift of an office chair holds a person throughout its entire service life. If the chair has stopped rising and falling and you can’t fix the position, it will be cheaper to ask how to replace the gas lift than to buy a new one. How this system works is quite simple to explain; shock absorbers most often fail due to heavy load.
Parts replacement process
Before replacing the gas lift of an office chair, it should be checked for functionality. You need to sit on the chair with all your weight and try to raise or lower its position. If there is no reaction, then in a specialized store you can easily choose a gas lift for the chair. Everything is there required dimensions and hydraulics, as well as a gas cartridge, since they are the same almost everywhere. Choose suitable model You will be helped by experienced specialists who will more accurately navigate the models of this furniture.
Be careful! There are gas lifts with an unusual high cone
Repairing a gas lift yourself is quite simple, you just need to follow the instructions:
Now many people know what to do if the chair mechanism is constantly acting up. Replacing a lowered gas appliance will not take much time; the standard procedure lasts no more than fifteen minutes. The entire process of how to repair or change a gas lift is described above in order to feel comfortable when you sit in a chair. Try and do everything right so as not to waste cash for a complete replacement of an office chair.
Office chair– a modern, multifunctional piece of furniture. But, unfortunately, unlike other cabinet furniture, it has the highest percentage of wear and tear. Heavy daily use can lead to mechanical or hydraulic failure. In such a situation, it is important to understand the cause of the malfunction, and based on it, there are three ways to solve the problem: take it to specialists for repair, buy a new one, or fix it yourself.
In our publication we will talk about how to repair an office chair yourself.
Types of office chairs
There are three types of office chairs on the market today:
For the manager, for the staff and for visitors.
The executive chair is fully equipped with: a five-beam steel crosspiece, a synchromesh mechanism, mechanisms for adjusting the backrest resistance and seat depth, etc.
The chair for employees is not as equipped and functional. As a rule, such models are lightweight, which ensures high mobility. It is also equipped with a device for adjusting the seat height and backrest angle.
An office chair for visitors, simple, comfortable, beautiful, but lacking functionality. As a rule, they do not have a rotation mechanism.
What is a gas lift for an office chair?
A gas lift or gas cartridge is a mechanism that is responsible for adjusting the height of the seat surface and allows you to fix it in a position convenient for use.
Main elements of a gas cartridge: cylinder and spindle.
To ensure that your device serves you for many years, we recommend doing the following:
- - do not jump on the chair;
- - once every few months, lubricate the elements of the chair with special oil;
- - under no circumstances should you sit in a chair together and create an advantage;
Causes of gas cartridge failure:
- — not careful handling of the office chair;
- — the user’s weight exceeds the permissible weight for operation;
- — the warranty period has expired;
- — the user sits on the chair from a jump;
- - rocking in a chair when the mechanism is in a fixed position.
If your chair's warranty period has expired and a breakdown occurs, then having certain knowledge, you can make repairs at home.
If you sit down on a chair, and it independently changes the position of the seat down, and after a while returns to its place, this is one of the signs of a breakdown of the gas cartridge. In this situation, you can fix the position of the chair using improvised means or replace the gas lift.
In order to replace the gas cartridge, you will need:
- - armchair;
- - screwdriver;
- - rubber hammer;
- - metal drift;
- — a new gas cartridge, suitable in diameter and length;
- - vice.
Work progress:
Now you have to do the reverse process - assembly:
- — We screw the swing mechanism to the backrest seat.
- — Then place the crosspiece with its wheels on the floor, and then remove the transport cap from the new gas cartridge.
- Important: do not press the gas cartridge button in your hands, this is dangerous to your health!
- — now we are installing a new gas lift, make sure that the diameter of the gas cartridge completely coincides with the cross.
- — now we put on the protective cover, and then the chair body on the swing mechanism.
- — we press our hands on the body of the chair, check all the elements and sit down in the chair to check the operation of the new gas cartridge.
Helpful Tips:
- - if you have assembled a new chair, and you immediately have problems with the gas cartridge. There is a high probability that the gas lift is in poor condition or defective. But it is also possible that the gas cartridge button can be fixed with a lever from the swing mechanism.
- - if the gas lift does not respond when you press the lever, make sure that the piastres or the swing system are secured correctly, as well as the integrity of the lever for pressing the button.
If the above reasons are absent, the gas lift needs to be replaced.
Conclusion
Now you know what to do if the gas cartridge height adjustment device fails. Replacing a gas lift is not as complicated a process as it might seem at first glance, and will not take much time.